Sell your photos or videos to the national press and we'll collect the royalties for you

Highest payments guaranteed. Largest independent UK press agency. Established for 50 years.

Want to sell a photo to a newspaper or magazine? You're in the right place.

SWNS is the largest independent press agency in the UK. For over 50 years we have been supplying the national press with up to 20% of all daily print news. This includes photos, videos, and other types of media content. If you have been wondering how to sell a photo to a newspaper or magazine, you'll find everything you need to know right here.

Not only do we have in-house photographers and videographers all over the country, we also work with hundreds of contributors like you. We place your photos, images and videos in the national press and collect the royalties for you.

Our collection and recovery team ensures that every penny you’re owed is paid to you. We guarantee to pay the highest rates for your photos and videos, and make sure that your fees are paid directly into your bank account.

How to sell a photo to a newspaper or magazine

Simply email us your photo for review at pix(at)swns.com or click on the button below to email us (don’t forget to attach the image). If your photo or video is too large to send to us, you can just send us a short email describing the content, or you can use our WeTransfer service http://swns.wetransfer.com to send us your photos or videos.

We take copyright very seriously. You always maintain ownership of your content and you will always be credited. Your photo or video will never be printed without your consent. We offer a safe way to get your photos and videos printed in magazines and newspapers.

We will tell you straightaway if we feel your photo has potential to earn you some royalties.

What is my photo or video worth?

SWNS split all royalties 50:50. We send all images and videos out with words to accompany the images (which transforms them into news content and helps them sell). This is the highest royalty figure you will find, and ensures that we are motivated to place your images in as many publications as possible.

Your images or videos will be sent out on our national newswire, meaning that anyone wishing to publish your image (whether hard print or online) will be required to pay for it.

If your image makes the hard copy of a newspaper or magazine it will fetch more than online versions will pay. However, we aim to get your photo or video in as many newspapers and magazines as possible.

We have automatic accounts with every major news outlet that calculate how much to pay for your image or video (depending on where it appeared, which page, and how large). Our accounts and recovery team collect royalties from the smaller publications too.

Once your story has been wired, we’ll send you a collection report and will deposit the collections directly into your account once they have been recovered. SWNS has just won Google Funding to develop our systems and provide real-time reporting on how much your content has made (this means you’ll be able to log in and see how much each photo or video has made in real-time, rather than waiting for the collection reports we send you).

What sort of photos and videos do magazines and newspapers print?

Celebrities: A photo of you standing next to a celebrity at a public event won’t fetch any money many people have similar photos. However, an image of a celebrity in their youth or before they were famous, or in an unusual situation could do well (perhaps you’ve caught them having a tantrum, or doing something they shouldn’t be).

Breaking news events: If you capture an unfolding drama or news event it’s imperative you get the images to us quickly. These can be extremely valuable; news outlets want to be the first to cover the news and are always hunting for any new information.

Natural events and spectacles: Have you caught a photo of an incredible natural spectacle? Whether it’s a rare wildlife photo, an unusual natural event that you’ve captured, or a nature image of extraordinary quality, would love to see it. Certain newspapers and Sunday supplements like to publish such photos.

People in the news: An ordinary person caught at the centre of a media storm. Perhaps they’ve been charged with a crime, or maybe they are the victims. If it’s a big case, these images usually fetch a decent income as they tend to be used in every publication.

Bizarre and unusual: Anything weird and wacky. Perhaps you’ve captured a big cat roaming the moor, a UFO, or a spectre? Anything strange, we want to see it (although please don’t send us pictures of ‘orbs’ which tend to be dust particles close to the lens; we get a lot of those!).

How do I protect myself against copyright theft?

As company based around photographers and photo editors, we take copyright very seriously and we will help to protect you against image theft. You can read all about how we protect both you and ourselves here: Terms & Conditions

Legally the copyright to any photo you take, or own, automatically belongs to you. We will always protect your copyright; nothing will ever be sold without your permission where possible we will get your name credited as the photographer or owner of the picture. Selling a photo or image through SWNS is the best way to make money from your content and retain all control over it.

Shall I contact a newspaper or magazine directly to sell my photo?

All of the rates we receive are standard set rates for image usage. You can contact newspapers and magazines directly, but most people find it very hard to get through to the correct person, or get their content looked at.

In addition we send each image and video around properly packaged up with news copy attached, relevant meta data, and credits. Whilst you share the royalties with us, you have significantly more chance of publication and we sell to every publication in the UK, and some overseas publications. This saves you the legwork and give you a fantastic opportunity to earn hassle free income.

How to go ahead

You can email your image or video directly to our pictures desk. We will review your content and get straight back to you if we think it could work for us. We will be able to tell you straightaway if we feel your photo or video has potential.

If your photo or video is too large to send to us, you can just send us a short email describing the content,or you can use our WeTransfer service http://swns.wetransfer.com to send us your photos or videos.